Chapter 12
“ N ay, this can’t be happening!” Regina hurried into the mews with Hunter and the rest of the men following right at her heels.
“Where’s Cassian?” shouted Robin. “Get him out here, now!”
“I’m here, my lord,” said Cassian walking out of a shadow.
“Where were you when this happened?” asked Robin.
“It happened last night, I believe. While I was sleeping,” said the old man.
“Did you hear anyone in the mews last night?” asked Hunter.
“Nay.” The man shook his head.
“No, of course not,” mumbled Hunter, since the man was nearly deaf and probably slept through the storm as well.
Regina put Hera on her perch and then proceeded to check on Dewdrop and Cloud.
“Are the other birds all right?” Hunter asked, coming up behind her.
“They’re fine,” she answered. “But Lightning is gone! Oh, Hunter, please find her. I am so upset that my whole body is shaking. I pray she is all right.”
“Damn it! I should have been here doing my job instead of being out on the hunt,” spat Hunter. “I blame myself that this happened.”
“What do you mean?” asked one of the huntsmen. “How is it your fault, my lord?”
“Yes, and what do you mean your job?” asked Robin’s squire. “I don’t understand.”
Al and Sage entered the mews next, followed by Fred. Luke was following slowly but walking as if he’d never been injured at all. He carried Inky in his arms.
“What’s going on out here?” asked Sage. “I heard the commotion and yelling all the way from the keep.”
“Oh, Sage, it’s awful,” cried Regina, running to the woman. “The thief has struck again and this time he took Lightning.”
“I will put a stop to this,” Hunter spoke up. “I swear I will find this thief and he will hang for what he’s done.”
“Do you really think you can find him?” asked Baldwin.
“I can. It’s my job and what I do.”
“Why does he keep saying that?” asked Paul.
“Lord Robin, you may as well tell them all. There is no sense keeping my identity a secret any longer,” said Hunter.
“You’re right,” agreed Robin. “Everyone, Hunter Chase is a thief-taker who I hired to find and bring in the thief who has been robbing us.”
“Ah ha! That’s how I know you,” said Al. “I thought you seemed familiar. You’re that thief-taker who lives in the woods outside of town, aren’t you?”
“I am,” Hunter admitted.
“He’s naught but a damned mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder,” said Cassian with a sneer. “Just like his old man.”
“What?” Regina blinked several times, looking over at Hunter. “What is he talking about, Hunter?”
“It’s true, Lady Regina,” said Hunter, swallowing his pride. “I was a mercenary for many years. I started when I was only thirteen.”
“So you…killed people when you were only Luke’s age?” Regina was standing near him but took a step backward when she said it. It felt horrible. She acted as if she were appalled or frightened of him now. That is the last thing he ever wanted. They had been intimate and it felt good. It was magical and special. Now, he was sure Regina would never even want to speak to him again and he couldn’t say he blamed her.
“I’m not proud of my past,” said Hunter in a humble manner. “Believe me, it wasn’t my choice. I wish my life had been different. I was a child who was reared in a dishonorable manner, and I hate it. But it is in the past now, Lady Regina. There is nothing I can do to change it.” He wanted her to understand that he was no longer the man he used to be. “I don’t kill anymore unless it is in self-defense. I rarely even use my weapons to bring in thieves. I swear it is the truth. I am doing all I can to change the darkness of my past.”
“Really.” Regina seemed to look down her nose at him now. “I find that hard to believe since you’ve given your thirteen-year-old nephew a deadly sword. Your words belie your actions.”
“My uncle always says to look at people’s actions to know what is really going on,” Luke spoke up, not making things any easier.
“Now wait a minute. That was different,” Hunter said in his defense. “The sword I gave Luke was once my father’s and the only thing I have left to remember him by. I wanted to pass it down.”
“Odd how you hold so precious a weapon that has been used to kill on command, yet you want me to believe you reject your past.” Regina was making him feel even worse. “I’m sorry, Hunter Chase, but I just can’t believe you about anything anymore.”
There was a lull in the conversation. Hunter felt Regina’s accusations as naught but a knife twisting in his heart. Mayhap she was right. Mayhap he wasn’t any different than his father before him.
You should have told Lady Regina about your past, Hunter, came that damned nagging voice of his late sister in his head once again. She’ll never want you now. Why would she? You are no better than an assassin and she is a lady. You are raising Luke the way your father raised you and you should be ashamed. What were you thinking, you fool?
“Excuse me, everyone,” said Hunter, feeling as if he wanted to retch. Last night was one of the best times of his life but today was one of the worst. He couldn’t live like this anymore. Hunter pushed his way through the crowd and made his way out the door. “I have a thief to catch, and by God the damned man better be worried. Because when I get my hands on him, he is going to be more than sorry.”
Regina stood watching as Hunter left the mews, not sure what to think anymore. She felt numb. Lightning was gone and the man she thought she loved was proving to be naught but a liar. She’d given him her virginity! She gave him her heart. She thought she was safe in his arms but now she just found out he was naught but a man who killed on command for money. Her life was falling apart around her and this time she wasn’t sure she’d be able to pick up the pieces and put it back together.
“Everyone, get back to work,” commanded Robin, clearing out the mews except for Roger and Cassian. “Sister, are you all right?” Robin put his hand on Regina’s shoulder.
“Nay, I’m not all right,” she spat. “How in heaven’s name could I be? One of my babies has been abducted and I’m not going to be happy until you find the thief and execute him. Roger, please don’t leave the birds alone for one moment,” she commanded. Not wanting to cry in front of the men, Regina turned and ran from the mews.
She didn’t stop running until she entered her chamber and slammed the door closed behind her. Wanting to be alone and think, she threw herself down on the bed and cried. A few minutes later she heard a soft knocking at her door. Thinking it was Hunter, she decided she didn’t want to talk to him. Nay, she wanted nothing to do with him at all.
“Go away! Leave me alone!” she shouted, saying the same words back to him that he’d said to her on their ride home even though she hadn’t understood why he’d been acting that way.
The door squeaked open and Sage stuck her head into the room. “Regina? Can I come in, please?”
“Oh, it’s you, Sage.” Regina sat up and used a hand cloth to wipe away her tears. “Yes, come in. I welcome your presence. Just not…his.”
“I am so sorry about Lightning being stolen.” Sage sat down to comfort her, putting her arm around her shoulder. “Don’t even think a bad thought. I am sure Hunter will find the thief as well as the bird. He is good as what he does.”
“Hmmph,” she snorted. “Mayhap a little too good because he sure had me fooled.”
“What do you mean?” asked Sage.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“I have a feeling you are not talking about Hunter’s profession of being a thief-taker, are you?”
“Nay, I’m not.”
“Oh. You are upset about the fact he was a mercenary at one time, aren’t you?”
“Well, yes. Mercenaries are horrible men with no morals, conscience or even souls. They will kill anyone if the pay is good enough. This is very upsetting to me, Sage. I thought Hunter was different. I mean, did you and Robin know he’d been a mercenary?”
“Nay, we didn’t. Your father hired Hunter and knew Hunter’s father, Robert. I’m sure Madoc must have known. But you heard Hunter. It was the way he was brought up, he couldn’t help it. No one can change the past.”
“Nay, I suppose not. And neither can I change my past with him either.” Thoughts of their lovemaking filled her head as well as Hunter ignoring her afterwards. She also couldn’t accept who he really was and how he’d kept it from her. It was all too much for her to handle, given the fact she’d just lost her peregrine falcon that was like a child to her. She couldn’t stop herself from bawling.
“He lied to me, Sage.”
“He didn’t lie. Unless you asked him directly if he’d been a mercenary and he denied it.”
“Nay. Of course not. How would I have known?”
“Regina, everything will be all right,” said Sage, not knowing half of her problems. “Just have faith. Trust Hunter.”
“Trust him? Hah! That is what got me in this situation in the first place. I never should have trusted him and let him into my life. Nay, I made a big mistake. I never should have let him touch me.”
“Touch you?” Sage reached up and gently smoothed back Regina’s hair. “Is there something else you’d like to tell me? Were you and Hunter…intimately involved?”
Regina felt as if she would die if she didn’t confide in someone soon. Since her sisters weren’t here to talk to, and she’d never mention this in a million years to Robin, she felt Sage was her only and best choice. Sage had become a good friend to Regina since she’d married Robin.
“Yes, Sage, he did touch me,” she admitted with a sniffle. She blotted her eyes and then continued. “Hunter and I…we made love last night.”
“Oh!” Sage’s eyes opened wide and she held a hand to her heart. “I see. Does Robin know about this?”
“Nay! And neither will you ever tell him.”
“Honey, did Hunter force himself on you? Because if he did, you need to let your brother know at once.”
That only made Regina cry even more. “Hunter didn’t force himself on me. If anything, I was the one who initiated it.”
“Then you have feelings for the man?”
“No! Yes. Oh, I don’t know. I am so confused. I thought I was falling in love with him, Sage. But now I’m not sure what to think.”
“Does he feel the same way about you?”
“I thought he did.” She blew her nose in the cloth. “He even called me his Ladybird when I was in his arms.”
“Ladybird?” Sage smiled. “Oh, that is cute. I like it.”
“So do I.” Regina wrung the cloth in her hands.
“Then what’s the problem, Regina?”
“I…he…oh, I don’t know. Last night was wonderful. Better than I had ever imagined it could be. I’m sure he thought so too. Then, it just seemed like he was ignoring me all morning and I don’t know why. It was like he regretted what we did together.”
“You need to talk to him, Regina.”
“I can’t. Nay. I don’t want to.”
“It is unfair of you to judge the man simply by what you think he might or might not be feeling. After all, he’s had a hard life. He had been raised at a young age as a mercenary and then lost everyone he ever loved. He’s been left with an unruly boy to raise all by himself. And as you have noticed it doesn’t seem to be going well. Did you ever consider that mayhap he is trying to do his best but it is just not good enough for anyone?”
“Oh, Sage, do you really think that is how he feels?” Regina started wondering if mayhap she’d judged Hunter too harshly, just like Sage said.
“I am only telling you this from experience. I was once a person with nothing, trying to raise my siblings on my own. I know how hard it can be. You are a noble, Regina. Your life has been good and easy. You’ve always had everything you ever needed or could possibly want.”
“Nay, not everything,” she said sadly.
“What do you mean?”
“I thought I was happy just raising my birds, Sage. But once I met Hunter, I started to realize how empty my life really was without having someone—having a man to love. A man like Hunter.”
“Mayhap he is that man you’ve always wanted and you just didn’t know it until now. If you think at all this might be true, I urge you to go and talk to him right away. Talk about your relationship with him and tell him how you feel. Be sure to ask him how he is feeling as well. Do it before he finds the thief and leaves the castle. Do it before the best thing that ever happened to you goes out that door forever.”